Caisson permits have been issued for the residential development at 438 W Saint James Place in Lincoln Park. Located near the intersection with N Lakeview Avenue and replacing an existing two-flat, the project was originally proposed in mid-2022 and since then has gone through a major redesign. Developer St. James Interest, LLC is behind the project with local firm Hirsch MPG working on its current design.
Site rendering of 438 W Saint James Place by Hirsch MPG
previous (left) – current (right) rendering of 438 W Saint James Place by Hirsch MPG
The 2022 proposal was set to rise 10 stories and 123 feet tall with a glass and metal panel facade, keeping the core against the adjacent mid-rise and creating voids in the form with inset balconies. The now approved design will instead rise five stories and roughly 67 feet, ditching most of those old design elements for a more generic aesthetic with a gray masonry facade and punched-in windows.
Ground (top) – Second (middle) – sixth (top) floor plans by Hirsch MPG
Elevations of 438 W Saint James Place by Hirsch MPG
A new curb cut will be created to allow cars to enter the five-vehicle garage that will occupy most of the ground floor, this will be joined by bike parking as well as a small entrance. The floors above will contain four-full floor residential units with four bedrooms, three terraces, and a media room that can become a fifth bedroom. A small outdoor deck will be located on the rooftop, with all outdoor spaces facing east towards the lake.
Rendering of 438 W Saint James Place by Hirsch MPG
Future residents will have access to CTA Routes 22 and 36 within a five-minute walk as well as CTA Red, Brown, and Purple Lines at the Fullerton station via a 15-minute walk. The $5.5 million development can now commence construction with this initial permit, though one is still needed for its full build-out. Initial details of the project showed the developer plans to break ground this fall and expects to wrap up the work by the spring of 2025.
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Still, in this, the 10th iteration, it’s a bland, unskilled, clumsy and in-elegant design for what is a luxury building is a fine location, surrounded by fine architecture.
444 St. James has east-facing windows, not shown in the rendering. Residents in those units will have a view of a brick wall less than ten feet from their windows. It will be their only source of light and ventilation.